Beef Lasagna is also known as a very classical Italian dish - already in families over the centuries. I used to make this lovely beef lasagna for our Wellington Wine walk groups. As we used to be a historic farm, we have chosen some classic dishes for our groups. And also we couldn’t (even by accident) use somewhat the same item on the evening's menu than what they might have had the previous evening at the previous sleeping destination. So we were saved with the beef lasagna! What is nice about this beef lasagna is that the recipe also contains some bacon - which add a delicious flavour to it. Also, you can use once again fresh lasagna sheets - it really doesn't take that much time longer- you can even ask the kids to roll it out for you. If you grow your own herb garden, add some fresh oregano and basil(any kind) - but I absolutely looooove dark opal basil! To it. It will make the world of difference to the dish. And let it slowly cook. If you are in the position to start it early morning, and eat it later the evening, even better! For the cheese sauce - if you want to be fancy, try also mozzarella cheese, but for me, plain cheddar cheese works just as well. This is really a lovely dish to serve a whole family since you can stretch the beef mince so well in here. This fantastic winter beef lasagna is a must-try as well as the Chicken Lasagna.
MEAT FILLING:Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.Add the onion and bacon and fry until the onion is soft about 5 minutes.
2
Add the mince and the garlic to the pan and turn the heat up.Break the mince up with a fork so it is not lumpy.
3
Add the tomato paste, Italian tomatoes, red wine, oregano, basil and bay leaf and cook on a low to medium heat.Simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes.Stir occasionally.
4
Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.
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WHITE SAUCE:Melt the butter, add the flour and add the milk gradually so no lumps form, while constantly whisking.The sauce will thicken and add the nutmeg, salt and pepper and one big handful of cheese.
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ASSEMBLING: Add a spoonful of sauce into the sprayed baking dish.
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Add layer of cooked pasta sheets.
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Add the beef mixture and top with sauce again.
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Keep layering and end with a sauce layer.
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Add the cheese on top and a little bit of nutmeg again.
